[Marty S]

No, it has everything to do with who’s sorting… especially at an internet sale. Those poor guys that ship straight to the dresser…

Classic case of “…Insert…. Turn Sideways…. Shove…”

My understanding of the “new beaver market” is a new old guy has returned to the felting business, applying pressure to the available goods thus pressuring the commodity a little. I guess his don’t go to the dresser, different process.

For felt, my understanding is the skin is soaked, bleached, plucked, restretched, then the beaver gets its underfur sheared and the underfur is saved and pressed into felt.

So probly, if the beaver doesn’t have any wool, there be very little or nothing to shave, hopefully the guy catches the problem in time.

If the beaver pelt feels padded when you push down on fur, it should have a decent amount of wool, if you push on the fur and you feel boardy hide, it has no wool and has no value to a felter. The fall beaver are like that but they have nice hair cover with the new hair, and my understanding was the Russians used to buy those for jackets, but no more. Maybe in the very near future??? Who heard my speculative theories on the weekend??!!!

Hopefully just some crafter buying them all in special lots, turning them all into mitts and selling at the local farmers market! However, likelihood ~0.01 percent… just like covid.